This thread is a support thread to help you ~not spend your money~. Everyone is welcome to join (we would love to have you) and you are welcome to start at any time. It doesn't have to be June 1st.

The plan is simple (although very tough to execute):

1. Vow not to spend any money on unnecessary purchases.

2. Come on here everyday and record your spending.

Good luck Ladies!! Let's have a FUNTASTIC June!!! Keep that money in your wallet.

Our no-spend threads tend to get very long...you don't need to read the entire thread (unless you want to). Just read the first few entries and jump right in. Start recording your spending today!

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Crunchy *VT* Mom's Tips for doing a no-spend challenge...

*Some of us record every penny that we spend, others only record unecessary purchases. Groceries, utilities, clothing, transportation...we expect you to spend money on that. The "no-spend" in our title refers to unecessary spending...things you could do without.

*Record whatever will cause you to spend the least. If you feel guilty about coming on here and fessing up -- then this thread is working perfectly.

*Please don't get discouraged if you spend -- our goal is PROGRESS not PERFECTION. We all will spend this month...let's admit that up front...Our ideal is no-spend...but we'll be happy if you just spend less.

*If you have time to read everyone else's post and do personals, thank you! That helps our thread do its job...but if you don't have time, then just post your tallies. We have plenty of successful no-spenders who do only that.

ok so I'm buying a house and the mortgage payment is almost double what my rent is now. holy smokes I need to curb the spending!!! Actually, I think I already do pretty well, but I can do loads better, and I'm going to have to. please please please help me stay on track. I'm very good at convincing myself I can spend just this little bit, just this one time. :

Oh so I'm Anna, I'm a single mama to a 6.5 yo boy and a 4yo girl. We unschool, and I watch children in my home as my income. So you can see why it's so tight!

I hadn't thought of a game plan, per se. I guess it's the impulse spending that I need to knock out, and going out to eat (or rather, getting food while we're out because I'm too lazy to make something at home first).

I'm really looking to break these bad habits for the long term, so I think starting out with not spending in June will help solidify that for me.

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of June.
My name is Kathirynne. I'm a single mumma to 4 fantastic children. I have decided to spend significantly less for the month of June, so that I can have enough in savings to pay the heat bill this winter...:

2. No spending is hard work. You need a plan. Please tell us your game plan -- how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?
My plan is to come to this thread and post my spending (or, hopefully! my lack of) EVERY day. (Anyone want to send me a daily reminder pm??? )

Visit To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.to follow my epic saga of single mummahood....

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of June.

I'm Nadia, a SAHM to 3 ages 5, 3.5 and 1 next week. Our spending has been WAY over where it needs to be the past couple months and we need to get it back in line. On paper, it should be no problem. In practice, well, it doesn't go nearly as smoothly!

2. No spending is hard work. You need a plan. Please tell us your game plan -- how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?

Well, we have 3 weddings, 2 birthdays, and an anniversary this month, so there will be $$ going out for gifts. I just started a Pampered Chef business, so I will probably use that discount to help with gifts.

I will also need to spend some money on getting my garden going, but that should help with food spending the rest of the summer. Our CSA starts in June too, so I am hoping to really get our food spending down.

We are going to try and ration out our money for the month to help prevent the cycle that we always get caught in: have no $$ at the end of the month, spend a ton in the first week of the month and some more in the second so we are back to having no $$ at the end again.

One goal I want to have is to eat out once a week at the most. We have slipped into going more often and it isn't healthy or frugal.

hello ladies. i enjoyed doing the may challenge. i have been recording all money out that does not have to do with our bills. groceries, hardware, gas and uneccesary. my uneccesary spending would have paid for my upcoming car insurance so that was a real eye opener.

my plan for this month. is to hopefully have this baby(due last sat) and not eat out for convenience. if i have to live on ellios pizza so be it as long as i stay out of mcdonalds and applebees. i plan on meal planning and packing lunches for dd and i when we go out. we are conserving on gas and it seems to be working. i will not go to the store just to go unless i will be driving by there for something else. i also am going to work on our grocery budget since we have been spending so much on fruit. hopefully once the farmers market opens up that will help.

goals for this month is to save for upcoming car insurance due in july. save for car repairs that i know need done. i think new belts. pay down student loan. only $5042 left and hoping to pay off by next feb.

I was watching the May challenge, anxiously waiting for June to start. I'm glad the thread is hear early.

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of June.

I'm Heather, a SAHM to two children. My partner is the income earner. We make enough money to not live paycheck to paycheck, but we do and we'd like to turn that around. We have credit cards that need to be paid off and we have to save for our end of the year taxes and homeowners premium, in addition to having to give $2000 to homeowners insurance on a claim we made that they are now denying (a year ago so we already spent it).

2. No spending is hard work. You need a plan. Please tell us your game plan -- how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?

I've made a very detailed budget. I've also looked at the extras that occur that I haven't previously budgeted for (oil changes, car registration, kids' classes, etc.) and am now setting money aside for those. We plan on going to an envelope system for groceries (I totally overspend at Whole Foods), spending money, kids' activities, gifts, etc. I'm going to get my grocery spending down to $125 a week by meal planning and stocking the pantry and freezer when things are on sale. We have NOTHING planned for the summer so I hope to keep our driving down and keep the kids busy by going to our neighborhood pool (we already paid for the membership).

3. Be specific! What are your goals? How many no spend days is right for you? Do you have a savings goal? Debt repayment goal?

1. Not to spend more than is allocated in the budget for groceries and spending ($125 per week for groceries, $15 per week per adult for spending, $50 a week for family spending, and $25 per week slush). I know this seems like a lot but I want to make sure we don't feel angry at our new budget and say screw it.

2. Save my personal spending money to buy bigger things, like some shorts and shoes, rather than blowing it at Starbucks.

3. Pay off Homeowner's insurance claim and start an emergency fund.

4. Establish and stick to an envelope system.

5. Start using coupons. Only buy what we need or what is on sale to stock the pantry/freezer. Make more food to reduce the pre-packaged stuff (how do I make cereal bars?).

Hi, My name is Carrie and I'm a SAHM to 2 wonderful kids (DS 5 and DD 2). I've decided to try to curb our spending because prices for gas and food have gone up so much. Plus I feel like we have so much already. In terms of debt, we really don't have any. But we are looking to move to a bigger house sometime next year so we would like to save more money. I've been reading this board and have been thinking about joining. So here I am.

I am planning to drive less this month and try to do all my errands at once so waste less gas. We're also trying not to use the A/C as much. Planning not to buy any more toys for the kids. They have way too much already. So even if it's a "deal", I'm not going to buy it. I will also try not to go to the mall too much.

In terms of goals, I'm hoping to have some no spend days. Does paying bills count as no spend days? I can't remember. But I'm going to limit myself to not paying too much extraneous stuff that I don't need. We are trying to build our nest egg for the bigger house we would like to have. We have no debt and have our emergency fund set up for 6 months right now.

I am here again!!
This will be my tenth month here! And I am not 100% sure of how to plan a no spend June!! We have sooo much going on this month will REALLY be a challenge..

I am a SAHM to a 4 year old dd and a 2 year old ds,
We have home renovations approaching, cc debt, student debt, and car payments. Not easy with one income so I have to keep more control of our money and where it goes! I really want to see our savings account #'s go waaay up!
My goals this month are:

HI! I'm Natalia, SAHM mama to two little ones, Abby who is 3, and Ella who is 3.5 months. I also nanny for Sarah, who is 3 as well.
I've joined the No-Spend Challenge because of a few reasons. First the economy, dh is in the entertainment industry and it's very unstable atm. And second, because I am realizing I have a major spending problem. Especially (really only) when it comes to my kids. Toys, shoes, clothes, you name it, I want it for them. So, I am trying to put a stop to that. The last thing I want for my children is to grow up being materialistic. I started mid-May with the NSC and also decluttering A LOT of their things. I sold some stuff to a consignment store and put the money into savings. The rest I am taking to my midwife, who does a mama share program. She rocks!

I don't have a plan really, just to stay home and not spend any money!

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of June.

Heather, mama to Caleb who will be two this month! We need to get our budget back on track. My splurge items also tend to be unhealthy physically, such as fancy coffee drinks or even fast food or unhealthy items at the grocery, like baked goods. So by cracking down on all that I hope to not only save money but also save calories while increasing my sense of self-control and self-esteem.

2. No spending is hard work. You need a plan. Please tell us your game plan -- how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?

Going back to the cash-in-envelope plan. It really works for us WHEN we are strict about it. I've found some really good ways to save on groceries (by shopping Aldi every other week for staples and focusing on the farmer's market for produce). I did a 3-month clothing fast last fall, but haven't challenged myself to the extreme lately and am ready to shake things up again. I don't currently need anything.

3. Be specific! What are your goals? How many no spend days is right for you? Do you have a savings goal? Debt repayment goal?

There are a few holidays and birthday parties and stuff in june that can potentially blow me off course, so the plan is as follows: father-in-law birthday- make cookies, friend's daughter's birthday- regift something I bought for DS that he isn't interested n and is practically unused, DS's birthday- we have all the little things we need so not to get suckered into buying anything else and keeping the food simple by ordering pizza from Domino's, the big craft fair: take the money out of my monthly spending envelope after seriously considering the item, mom's night in: bring the wine (which we already have), mom's night out: purchase the kid's pack at the movie and limit self to one cocktail at restaurant and eat before going. Keep wallet at home whenever possible and keep portable snacks in the car or purse.

I have budgeted $60 for personal spending this month- cash in envelope. $300 for groceries, $100 for family entertainment (which would include any festivals, eating out, gifts, anything of that nature). My goal is to not go over the cash in the envelopes and maybe even to have some left at the end of the month. No books, clothing, no toys- we have enough of everything. No coffee out, no baked goods, no ice-cream. Stay out of the stores except for my once a week to the farmer's market (when I can make it) and once a week to the grocery (alternating Aldi and Wal-mart- saves lots of money). Planning menu around items already in pantry.

Instead of shopping when I hit a wall I can:
-go to the gym (I have a membership with child care included and can even go twice a day for up to 2 hours each)
-go to the park
-go on a walk or jog with my son
-go to the library
-call a friend and invite to our house for coffee

Hello everyone!
I joined really late last month sand it helped a little so here I am again. I am Heather, I am a Stay at home mom with a 16 month old and I am 16 weeks pregnant. My husnband and I live in Okinawa, Japan and will be here for another two years. Its a beautiful place but very expensive to live here so our budget needs some revamping..

Our goal is to have all our bills paid off before our new baby is born in November. I also have to rebuy a lot of baby stuff before the new one comes. Im trying to buy a little bit at a time so I don't overwhelm myself and overbuy. I have my first appointment next week and will sit down and make a list of all that I need to get and when to buy it after I know my due date .

My goals for this month:
Spend no more than 100 per week on groceries.
Start list of what I need to buy for the baby. I had some money for it in savings but an unexpectant accident left us with repair bills that we had to use that money on.
Don't drive anywhere for at least 15 of the 30 days.
Pack lunches for my husband for when he is at work.
To go through and get rid of a lot of my DD's toys that she doesn't play with.
To get everything ready to move (we move in July/August, whenever a house opens up.
No spend days 20/30.

Im sure there is more Im going to try to do but Im exhausted so Im going to go lay down and pray my hubbie gets home soon.

I'm in for June. We really need to build our checking back up or else we are going to have to dip into savings which I really don't want to do. We are going to try and actually do the envelope system for this month and keep spending to only essentials. The only birthday this month is mine so we are clear there.

- I am dropping the grocery budget to get some extra cash- will keep to $200 and another $100 will go to the chickens we are buying in July
-eating out will keep that to $50. I have been planning snacks when we go out. and have collected coupons to places we like when we do eat out
-no nonessential spending for me- I will allow a snack from the discount store every 2 weeks (less than $1)
- will give dh an allowance for the week
- we are selling stuff on ebay etc as well- however there are some things we need to buy so that is probably already spent

In terms of goals, I'm hoping to have some no spend days. Does paying bills count as no spend days? I can't remember. But I'm going to limit myself to not paying too much extraneous stuff that I don't need. We are trying to build our nest egg for the bigger house we would like to have. We have no debt and have our emergency fund set up for 6 months right now.

Welcome Carrie!! In answer to your question about bills, it is up to you. Some people distinguish between "In Budget" spending and "Out of Budget" spending during their daily tally. It is all up to you

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us why you have decided to spend nothing (or spend significantly less) for the Month of June.

Hi, I am Char, I am trying to save $500 per month to dump into savings. We are blowing through too much on un-necessary things like eating out and impulse buys. I am worried about the economy and I am pretty disgusted that at our income level we don't have more money in savings. We need to get in control!

2. No spending is hard work. You need a plan. Please tell us your game plan -- how do you plan to approach no spending for a month?

Fewer driving days, for sure. If I am not out I will most likely not spend the money. I need to get our grocery budget under control and I will start buying more frozen veggies and doing bulk buying of things like flour and sugar. We will no longer be buying gourmet coffee, I can't tell the difference anyway! We will also be having more vegetarian meals- they are more healthful and hopefully cheaper. I will meal plan each Saturday with my husband and we will shop together on Sunday and that will be it for the week.

3. Be specific! What are your goals? How many no spend days is right for you? Do you have a savings goal? Debt repayment goal?

We are going to try for 3 no drive days per week. I am going to shoot for 20 no spend days. We are going to save $500 this month and I will be canceling two store credit cards. I don't use them and I don't need the temptation.

We are about to move across the country and we will be paying double rent (well, a mortgage and a rent. Anyone want to buy a house in northwest Arkansas?) so I really need to be careful with what I spend. I too am worried about our savings (we have none) and so I want to save as much as possible so I can put my mind at ease a little!

My game plan, I guess, is to try to find an apartment that's close to a bus stop and a grocery store so I can walk to get our groceries and DH can bus to work. After Wednesday I want to not eat out for the rest of the month (driving across the country on Sunday - Wednesday so we kind of have no choice.) And that one will kill me since I am a Wendy's junkie!!

I am also not going shopping alone and I am not taking any cash with me - the only shopping I am allowed to do is grocery shopping. If I want a book, I can go to the library. Grr!! I am getting tough on myself this time!!

Thanks for this thread!!

Kris - married to Nate since 12/06, mom to Toby since 1/08. Also servant to two felines. Done having babies for medical reasons.

My main goal is to not spend and have cash to put towards paying off our credit cards since interest is just like handing money over to them. Im a SAHD of a 1 year old and 3 year old. I don't have much of a need to spend but somehow i do. . I would rather be putting that money in the kids savings accounts!

I don't really plan on giving up all spending but need to cut way back. So i am giving myself a limit of $75.00. thats $2.50 a day, including gas money. Should be easy just for the fact that you cant get much for $2.50, so i will have to plan wisely.

this month i won't be home much. tomorrow i leave for a week at the farm. i'll be back on the 8th. i'll get groceries on the way out of town so i'll be spending this week, but not registering it here until next week.
a few days after i get back we're going on vacation. i have a seperate budget for that. then when i get back i hope i can get out to the farm again before the month ends... so basically i won't be on here much, but i also won't be spending much.

[I'm Michelle, sahm of 3 kids, 6, 3 and 2 months. We've been doing the TMM for a while and have stalled out a bit on our budgeting so I thought this might help jumpstart us. My plan is to simply leave my wallet at home when I go out, that alone will curb the I need a coffee or look at those strawberries purchases. My goal is to put an extra 150-200 towards debt repayment this month.

this month i won't be home much. tomorrow i leave for a week at the farm. i'll be back on the 8th. i'll get groceries on the way out of town so i'll be spending this week, but not registering it here until next week.
a few days after i get back we're going on vacation. i have a seperate budget for that. then when i get back i hope i can get out to the farm again before the month ends... so basically i won't be on here much, but i also won't be spending much.